SAMARKAND, September 16. /TASS/. It is not Russia that is breaking the turbines for the Nord Stream gas pipeline, they need to be repaired, and representatives of Siemens, which service the units, agree with this, Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters.
"Nord Stream 1. One turbine goes out of service after another. Are we breaking them?" he said.
"What actually happened to the last turbine that was taken out of service. It was to be a routine inspection, maintenance work but when they opened it in the presence of Siemens specialists they found an oil leak there. This is an explosive situation. They saw it and put their signatures under the act. It is necessary to repair, it is impossible to operate - it is explosive. But what do we have to do with it?" said Putin.
According to him, Gazprom needs be sure of the lifting of sanctions on the turbines for Nord Stream, because it is its property.
"They brought a turbine from Canada, but Gazprom won't take it." Well, it’s right that it doesn’t take it. After all, what's the matter? Gazprom has a contract for servicing turbines not with Siemens, but with a Siemens subsidiary in the UK. That's what it's all about! And the subsidiary of Siemens from the UK must give a document in which everything is spelled out that sanctions have been lifted from the turbine, because it is our property. And Gazprom needs be sure that the technical condition is normal - maybe tomorrow it will want to sell it, well, I don’t know where - to Iran, China, somewhere else," Putin said.
"The subsidiary of Siemens from Great Britain should give [guarantees]. But there is nothing but general conversations and some kind of chatter," he added.
In addition, it is necessary to make changes to the contract for the delivery of the turbine, Putin said.